Russia is considering to sell Belarus Iskander missile launchers as a
counter measure to the US deployment of anti-missile components in Central
Europe, Itar-Tass news agency reported yesterday.
"For every action there's a reaction. The same is true of the components of a
US missile defense in the Czech Republic and in Poland," Itar-Tass quoted
Colonel-General Vladimir Zaritsky, chief of the Russian Armed Forces' rocket and
artillery troops, as saying.
Earlier, Belarussian rocket troops chief Mikhail Puzikov has said there were
plans for buying Russian missile launchers Iskander-E to re-arm his nation's
military forces.
"Why not? This may be possible, on certain conditions, and if there is a
corresponding position taken by Belarus," Zaritsky said in response, noting it
might prove an asymmetric response to the deployment of U.S. missile defense
components in Europe.
The new missile launcher Iskander, which can carry missiles with a range of
some 500 km, will be used to re-arm five missile brigades of the Russian armed
forces by 2016, said Zaritsky.
The launcher consists of the rocket proper, a self-propelled launcher, a
rocket transportation and loading vehicle, the command and control vehicle, a
mobile information processing center, mobile logistic and support units and sets
of arsenal and training equipment, Itar-Tass reported.
